I remember doing this project when I was young– one of my favorites. I loved the process of making it, the way the colors looked next to each other, how the layers undulated in the jar.I remember begging my mother to let me do this more.She claimed that it used too much salt – way too expensive.Given that the salt I bought my children was $0.50 a canister and could make four of these each, I realize now that my mother was avoiding the mess– Hrmmph.Well, fair warning, this is a salty mess, but oh so much fun. And relatively easy to clean up with 2 or 3 sweepings.

I love getting ready for projects, so much promise and cooperation.

This project makes for a good easter centerpiece – so many pretty pastels.

Here’s the how-to:

Materials

Paper

Colored Chalk

Salt

Small Jars –We’re out of the baby-phase so no baby food jars in this house, but if you have them, they are ideal for this project. I found some old plastic craft jars I hadn’t used, so went with that. I highly recommend using glass as the chalk dust sticks less.

1.Gather Materials.My suggestion is to get a set of materials for each child – makes for less yelling and grabbing. I know we’ll use them again, too.

Plus, that way they get to label.

2.Pour salt on a piece of paper, enough to make a layer about 1/4 “ thick in your chosen container. This is tactilely so wonderful – let your kids play with it – or design with it.

3.Take your chosen chalk color and rub the chalk back and forth across the salt until you get the desired color saturation.

4.Carefully, pour layer of colored salt into container.

5.Use the opposite side or a new piece of the paper for a new color (these pages can be used for chalk drawings after the project is over).

6.Pour layers at angles and around the jar to get interesting strata.You can rotate the jar while pouring to achieve this.

7.Repeat process with new colors until jar is completely full.Take care not to shake the jar as this will mix the layers up – brown salt, no fun.Add lid and Voila!

8.Take a moment to relish in the happy feeling you get making something and appreciate the colors and layers and how they look.

What a FUN idea! I didn’t realize that the chalk would color the salt. So does the salt sort of work like sandpaper and make chalk dust that colors the salt?? So curious I think we’ll have to try it. You see the layered sand a lot, but this is more fun and simpler to be able to make all the colors yourself. THANKS for sharing!!

Thanks so much for sharing this. I tried it today with my Girl Scout troop and everyone loved the project. The results were beautiful! And several of the girls got creative and blended several colors of chalk together to make different shades. Fun project!

I came here via the ‘wonderyears’. This is such a heart warming way of beautifying unused glass jars/bottles. I must try this. Your display on the window sill makes such a pretty picture. Thanks for the inspiration

Jacquelyn, I would say it took us between 30 to 50 minutes or so to complete two jars each (more with clean-up time). I have one that rushes and one that is careful and one that is distracted all the time. The more kids you add, the longer it will take the whole group to compete. Have fun and send pictures!

I remember doing this as a kid in an art class – it was a lot of fun an pretty simple. Let me add a few tips: 1) you can use “playground sand” too. 2) smash the chalk up first and then mix it with the salt or use powdered paint 2) you can use a pencil or end of an artist’s paintbrush to create designs like flying birds. Thanks!

Ohh – fun! The jars are about 3 inches high and an inch and 3/4 on each side. I think I got them at JoAnn Fabrics a long time ago. Small jam jars, babyfood jars, or condiment jars all work well for this too.

Vinyl tablecloths are your friend! They are so cheap, and make great floor covers which can then be picked up careful and the waste dumped easily into the trash. Great for finger painting, play doh, and I’m sure for this project as well.

I LOVE THIS! We’re doing a Rainbow Birthday Party theme for our daughter and I think this is the perfect outdoor craft! Emphasizing the [outdoor] not inside my house with 30 kids! LoL Thanks for posting this!

FANTASTIC! I used this idea as a craft activity for my daughters 5th birthday which was themed ‘Rainbows & Unicorns’. It was such a huge hit with children and parents alike and such a nice take home token for each of the kiddies… plus it kept all 26 children occupied whilst the food was getting prepped and served!Thanks so much for sharing!The Spangler@The Quick Unpick

We did this at Awana in the summer when we were kids…but we used sand and food coloring…then we had to bake the sand in the oven on low. When our colors were ready we used big glass display vases and we made like mountain ranges and birds in the sky…u take black sand and pour a little on the side of the glass and take a toothpick and push down in the middle of the black sand and u have a bird like kids draw on paper…it was so fun…never tried the chalk way seems like less work! ~~~

I have a 3 year old and 5 year old so I needed a more fool proof method to use. I gave them a small sandwich bag for each color and the salt already poured into the bags let them stir until they get the color they want and then pour them into containers with a funnel the bags keep the mess off the table and saves paper. Also we can keep the chalk pieces in the bags to do this project again.

Hi Laiden. Thanks so much for your message! You can subscribe to my posts by RSS feed by clicking the button below my photo above. Or, you can subscribe by email. There is also a field to input that below my photo on the right hand side of the blog.xo anne

You can use sand! The colors aren’t as vibrant but it works and it is awesome to use something right outside the door. I’ve done it at the beach before. You can also use the colored sand and glue to make fun colored sand paintings.

This looks so pretty to try. I am an artist as well and love the whole calming behind it as well. But I am wondering about one thing. The salt is no longer good to consume right? Also I am a gardener and I saw one lady saying how they were going to use it as a theme for her daughter’s birthday. But outside. Just be careful if a lot of the salt gets in one spot on the grass it will cause it to brown and die. Some salts are ok like Epsom because of the magnesium(plants love the stuff) . Anyways just wanted to comment on how wonderful and refreshing to the eyes they are. Thanks for the blog posting.